Watson once played basketball, but decided to make volleyball her No. 1 sport and is now looking forward to playing volleyball at D-I University of Kentucky.

Watson's work reached a milestone when the Red Raiders beat Libertyville, 25-16, 25-23 for the McHenry Class 4A sectional title Npv. 7. HHS, 31-8, moved on to the Sweet 16. They battle Fremd (33-6) Nov. 11 at DeKalb for the right to compete at the IHSA Class 4A State Tournament.

The girls team finished in fourth place, with 156 points and gained an IHSA Class 3A State Qualifying spot. The IHSA State girls cross country meets is Nov. 9 at Detweiller Park in Peoria.

Isabella Ciesla, a junior, finished 11th as she led the girls team with a time of 17:45.3 on the three-mile sectional course.

“The girls' goal at state is to finish in the top 10, which has been our goal since the beginning of the year,” Huntley coach Matt Kaplan said.

Huntley's volleyball squad is no exception. The Red Raiders have nine Class of 2025 members, led by middle blocker Georgia Watson. The seniors will have a chance for a sectional title as the team emerged victorious, 25-14, 25-17 over Mundelein Nov. 5 at McHenry.

With the victory the Red Raiders, 30-8 overall record, advanced to the McHenry sectional final against Libertyville at 6 p.m.

He will compete there for the final time at the IHSA Class 3A State Cross Country Meet Nov. 9. He was the top boys' team finisher at the Lake Park sectional in fourth place, with a time of 14:46.5 and had all-sectional honors Nov. 2.

The boys were 11th in team standings, with 306 points. After Nitz, junior Andrew Raistrick was next, 15:58.5, 53rd; junior Logan Barreto, 79th, 16:21.1 and frosh Mark Omoniyi, had a 16:30.5 clocking, 92nd.

The Red Raiders had an 8-1-2 second half of the season, including a second place Fox Valley Conference finish at 7-2, a second straight Class 3A regional title and a sectional tournament victory.

Elgin dashed hopes of a Sweet Sixteen spot for Huntley with a 4-0 win at the Streamwood Sectional final Nov. 1, but not the memories of a 14-7-4 season. Huntley downed Hampshire, 2-0, in the sectional semi-final.

HHS topped Rokford Guilford, 25-19, 25-16 for the Machesney Park Harlem regional Oct. 31, the Red Raiders' eighth straight regional title.

Huntley advanced to the McHenry Class 4A sectional, facing Mundelein at 6 p.m., Nov. 5. HHS brings a 29-8 overall record to the sectional. The other sectional semifinal is Libertyville against Hampshire.

The Scots, 27-5, head into the post-season opener at 6 p.m., Nov. 6 at their gym after a solid month.

Their opponent had yet to be determined. A win advances them to play at Madison College Nov. 10. MCC's bes were at NJCAA DIII finish was seventh in 2019 and the Scots concluded in ninth in 2022.

Accomplishments for the Scots include: won the Skyway Conference championship with a 7-0 record; freshman middle blocker Anne Eschenbach earned national player-of-the-week honors on offense and four sophomores – Emily Willis of Huntley and a HHS alumna; Amanda Schaffer of Huntley, who attended Jacobs; Jessica Porten of Fox Lake, a Grant High grad and McHenry grad Kendall Kumsee, who was injured.

“We're in” - that's the message Huntley High School's football coaching staff shared with the team as the IHSA football Class 8A playoff spots were announced. Huntley, 5-4 FVC, 5-4 overall, will face unbeaten and fourth seed West Aurora there in the first round Nov. 1 with kick-off at 7 p.m.

HHS head coach Mike Naymola described how the squad learned of the assignment.

Describe your youth football career, how has the Class of 2025 stayed together.

Tucker: “Most of us started in Huntley youth football and a very few of us played for other towns simultaneously. I played for the
Gilbert Grizzles for a couple of years and then switched to flag football for the Huntley Park District until I reached high school.

Two overtimes were needed before the Red Raiders outlasted South Elgin, 3-2, Oct. 26 for their Class 3A Regional title at Red Raider Stadium. Huntley advanced to the Streamwood Sectional where they will fsce Hampshire, at 6 p.m. Oct. 30.

"Playing a team that fights against us that hard should really help us movie forward. Max Connell was on it in the overtimes, he showed up at the right time.

The Red Raiders' group, which includes four college-bound players in multiple sports, have had a decorated resume. They have been part of teams with three Fox Valley Conference titles in a row, two sectional crowns, and three regional winning teams.

“It feels overwhelming, we've been together for four years, and we've become extremely close,” senior Sienna Robertson said.

Robertson is unique in the Class of 2025 athletes, as she will chose to pursue volleyball or track and field throws.

Youngsters will also have a chance to participate in the Village of Huntley Halloween event, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Oct. 31 at Huntley Town Square.

For $50 annually or $30 semi-annually, readers will enjoy a growing amount of news content and more variety than our current news options.

Gassner, 6-foot-2 inches, 200-pounds, is one of 22 seniors on the HHS 2024 football team. He answered questions about his career for My Huntley News, ahead of the senior night game with Burlington Central at Red Raider Stadium Oct. 25.

How did your group get started in football?

Gassner: “A lot of us got started together freshman year as a whole group but there were a lot of us that have been playing since youth football with each other.

Quarterback Braylon Bower had thrown three touchdown passes and ran for another in the win which gave HHS a 5-3, 5-3 record and one win away from a secured playoff spot. Bower rushed for three touchdowns and 116 yards and passed for one score to Jordan Oruche.

The HPD's Board of Commissioners approved the ballot request July 24 and there have been opportunities in the Plan to Play Huntley campaign for public input since. The final such session is 6:30 p.m., Oct. 29 at Cosman Theatre, 12015 Mill Street.

Early voting is underway prior to the November 5 general election.

For details on park projects which will be done if the referendum is approved by 50 percent of those casting ballots, visit www.huntleyparks.org/plantoplay.

Sloan just missed the cut for the IHSA Girls Golf Class 2A State Tournament, losing out on the playoff hole by one shot with a sectional round of 84.

“I was really nervous when I learned I had to do a playoff hole,” Sloan said. “I have never been in that position before so it really brought out the competitive side of me.

Isabella Ciesla took first place in the girls race and Tommy Nitz did the same in the boys run. The Red Raiders girls team brought home the FVC team championship at Hickory Nut Grove Highlands in Cary Oct. 19.

Nitz beat 16 minutes in his final Fox Valley Conference race, for his third league race title. Nitz ended at 15:23 for three miles.

Ari Patel and Julie Klockner were 3-1 at the Huntley Sectional while teammates Kate Burkey and Ella Doughty were 2-1. The IHSA state tournament is Oct. 24-26 hosted by Hersey High School and surrounding sites.

HHS tennis coach Barry Wells summed up the two advancing doubles' team's tournaments.

“Last year we only qualified one doubles team (to state) so we're very happy to get both teams to state this year,” Wells said.

The Chargers come in with a 2-5, 2-5 Fox Valley Conference record while HHS is 4-3, 4-3. D-C's wins came over Crystal Lake South and Hampshire.

"We know we have to win out to make the playoffs,” HHS coach Mike Naymola said. “We have to play well to earn another seven days, because we know only a few weeks of football are guaranteed.”

The Red Raiders just beat the darkness Oct. 11 at Crystal Lake Central, but had outlasted eight other league teams and won all seven titles in singles and doubles brackets. Huntley won the tournament for the fifth straight year with 61 points to runner-up Cary-Grove's 49.

Now the squad hopes to keep the momentum going strong when the Class 2A Sectional comes to Huntley's courts Oct.

The trait was on display as the Red Raiders outlasted Crystal Lake South, 2-1, in Fox Valley Conference action Oct. 15. After a 26-28 loss, Huntley won 25-10, 25-11. The meant another 20-win season for HHS, the 10th straight in full seasons. Huntley, 20-7, was 13-2 FVC with three loop matches left.

“The main thing now is to play well in FVC matches so we don't have to share the title,” coach Karen Naymola said.